A miracle cure for ulcers
In this activity students learn about how stomach acid prevents the growth of all bacteria except one. Helicobacter pylori is a sneaky spiral pathogen which uses the enzyme urease to make ammonia and bicarbonate to neutralize stomach acid, to give you bad breath and gastric ulcers. The discovery of this bacteria caused a paradigm shift in medical thinking and is a great illustration of the nature of science. It is also...